The Tam Confrontation
by 221bRavenclawFireflyRoseTyler
Summary: Post-Serenity. Rayne pairing but not central to this first chapter, will get into it more later. What happens when River and Simon see their father for the first time after Simon got River out of the Academy? I always wondered. This story is an attempt to answer that question. Will try and update soon. first fan fiction ever. Reviews appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

"_First Earth got used up with all the meddling. So we looked into the black and found new worlds, and meddled with them to make them as much like first earth as possible. __Then the core planets formed the Alliance to tell us what to do, what to think. They came into our homes and into our heads when they hadn't the right. Some people fought. It didn't go well. Then the Alliance stole me away and messed around with my brainpan. My __Gege __Simon came and got me out. I'm River Tam, Genius, Moon brain, and pilot of Serenity. A ship of firefly class. She's home. The home that my brother found for me. Filled with the family that took us in when our first family wouldn't. My Ape-Man fighter. Sunshine mechanic. Captain Daddy. Warrior Woman. Captain Daddy's Butterfly. We lost a few: the Preacher and the Dinosaur Pilot. But they're still here. I'm just the only one who hears them. And now we'll take any job we need to, so that we can stay flying. And stay together"_

A fist is flying toward River Tam's face. Or rather the space where River Tam's face was. Because she's too fast for anything to connect. As a matter of fact only a few milliseconds after the fist passes harmlessly to her right, she has the arm connected to it bent back at an unnatural angle.

This job was supposed to run smooth. But of course they never run smooth. And it's getting harder to find them, thanks to the Alliance. Despite the respite that the crew of Serenity got from the Operative's stand down order, the Alliance still hunts for the Tams. The video Mal released caused several uprisings, but none stuck. And now three months later, most people aren't willing to hire known fugitives, and even more people could use the reward money. But the Serenity crew can always find a way. And thanks to their albatross, there are certain jobs that only they can do. Jobs that are too dangerous for the other smuggling rigs. River's telepathy and clairvoyance opened them up to a whole new level of dangerous jobs. More profitable jobs too. But only if they run smooth. And they never run smooth.

This job was one of the easier ones. A rim mob boss named Finley Bryce wanted them to steal back some inventory that an upstart mob from a neighboring moon had taken. He controlled all of the medical black market for three moons, making him one of the richest men on the rim. Once the Serenity crew steals it, it will have been stolen four times over. Considering Bryce stole it off the Alliance in the first place. This is of course why Mal took the job. Always willing to help someone who's a thorn in the side of the Alliance. Three pallets of sterile medical bandages, and enough vaccinations to inoculate half a city, heavily guarded by dangerous mercenaries in the middle of the mountains. Easy. At least by their new standards.

The plan was to release several gas canisters filled with a chemical compound that would put the guards to sleep, waking up almost nine hours later with nothing more than a headache. It shoulda went fine. They had used the compound that Simon cooked up plenty of times before. But then an unexpected alliance agrosprayers came in to spray pesticides over some alliance-owned wheat fields. The spray had screwed with the compound, and instead of sending the mobster off into a blissful sleep, it merely pissed them off. River was supposed to go in first, alone, to make sure all the guards were asleep, and then Kaylee to deactivate the alarms. But then she walked into a den of very awake mobsters.

River pushed the rather dusty thug into his comrade, and then whirled around in an impossibly fast pirouette, kicking the heel of her foot into the jaw of his slow moving reinforcement. Her left hand chopping into the thick neck of another foe as her foot dropped back to the floor still gracefully in a dancer's point. She then turned quickly to her left, her hair and her skirt whirling out behind her. She was prepared to thrown a vicious right hook into another man behind her, but somebody else had gotten there first. The mercenary was lying in a heap on the floor; River's mercenary standing over him.

And then River slumps as she snaps out of her weapon mode and turns back into River girl. She never hits the floor though. Jayne is too fast for that. He steps forward and catches her, sweeping all 90 pounds of her with a practiced ease into his arms.

River would be fine. She always was, the mobsters were never the problem. They were no match for River Tam. That's why they always sent her in first. But now the crew was stranded in enemy territory, and any more alliance or reinforcements would have to be faced with out their best security. They needed to get the cargo and get out fast.

Mal, Zoey, and Kaylee walked in. "What happened? Why is she knocked out! Did she get hit with the canisters?" Mal exclaimed as soon as he saw River in Jayne's arms. "The Gorram Alliance agrosprayers screwed around with them, and they didn' work. She had to take out the guards. Then she crashed. " Jayne said frustration and worry coloring his voice. Mal's face however cleared of worry, and irritation replaced it "_Mi Tian Gohn. _She'll be out for a while then. We need to get this cargo outta her e fast. Before more reinforcements show up and put us in a pinch without our albatross. Zoey stay with River and keep a look out. Kaylee do as planned and disable the alarms. Jayne wave Simon and get him down here to help us move the cargo." Everyone scrambled to do as told, although Jayne's face looked a little sour at the thought of leaving River.

"Simon ya need to get down here. River crashed after takin' down the guards. Mal says to you need to help load." Jayne said into the small com they had brought with them. A crackling voice came dribbled out of the small machine, "Is everyone ok? Why didn't the canisters work?" Jayne rolled his eyes, "Yeah everyone's fine. Just get your Pi Gu down here."

Within a few moments Simon joined them in the compound, Kaylee had the alarms off, and they started to load the meds. They managed to get all the cargo into the cart, tied down and loaded up, before Mal saw it. A tiny shiny square imbedded in the glass of the vaccination bottles. Trackers. "Mei Yong Ma Duh Tse Gu Yong. They've tracked all the vaccines. We won't even get fifty miles from this place." Mal exclaimed. Everyone groans. "Okay, everyone stay calm. Captain, what are our options?" Zoey states in her solider voice. Mal runs a hand through his hair, his eyes wide, and then says," We can run, and leave the cargo." Jayne looks scandalized. "Captain, we haven't had a job in weeks. We need the money. Without it we don't have food, we don't have gas, and we're almost outta River's meds." Mal glares at him, "Then what do you propose we do Jayne?" Jayne rolls his eyes, "I don't know, run with the meds, and blow up any alliance that comes after us." Mal's about to retort, but Kaylee steps in and says, "We'll I don't know about blowing anybody up, but we can probably make a run for it."

"How Kaylee-bear?" Mal asks "Well, if we can just make it back to Serenity, I can rig up the ship's coms to interfere with the tracking signal. Unloading tracked goods on Bryce is another problem entirely however." Mal's face hardens as he makes a decision. "Right, well that'd be a future problem. We need to get this stuff onto Serenity before the guards start to come around."

They load River into the backseat of the cart, and wedge her gently in between Simon and Jayne, her head dropping against her brother's shoulder, Jayne's hand intertwining with hers. Zoey jumps into the driver's seat her face devoid of emotion as she takes a hold of the steering wheel and yanks them into the sky. Once they're in the air, Jayne starts to pull out an impressive array weapons. Then as they reach the fence surrounding the mob compound, Mal shouts over the roar of the air " Cover your ears this is gunna get loud." And then the sirens go off, as the perimeter sensors pick up the tracker s on the vaccine.

Within seconds there are three hover carts behind them. "Jayne-" Mal shouts. " I got 'em boss. Don't you worry. Aren't you glad I brought the grenades this time?" Jayne yells back. Mal rolls his eyes, and Zoey steps on the gas. One of Jayne's grenades hits the hull of the cart on the left and takes it down, but he misses with next one, and the center cart is gaining on them. Jayne lobs another grenade at them, but it goes wide too. Zoey starts driving the cart more erratically, no longer concerned with anything other than evasion. They are getting closer to Serenity though, and the ship is coming into sight. Zoey pumps the gas again as Jayne yells back to his crewmates that they're out of grenades. He pulls out his guns, but the likelihood of getting though the armor of the other hover carts with just a shotgun shell is minimal. Then suddenly out of nowhere another car t appears right in front of them. Zoey slams on the breaks, and all of them slam forward. River's head knocks into the seat in front of her, and starts to bleed. Simon gives a shout, and leans forward to check her head.

Then one of the mobsters stands up in the cart blocking their way and shouts, " Hand over the goods, or we'll blow you outta the sky." All the member of the crew slowly start to raise the hands in the air, as Jayne lets loose with an impressively creative stream of curses. "Now now, we ain't looking for a confrontation here. I suggest everyone calm down. We'll give back the goods if you let us leave." Mal shouts in his most genial voice. The man nods his head. But suddenly River pops up, her eyes glazed over, Vera in her hand, and promptly shoots him in the head so fast no one even reacts. She flips around and takes out each mobster as the pop their heads up to try and take action against her. It is futile. Within seconds they're all dead. River gives a small smile. " The liars' brainpans go squish." And then she slumps once again, this time into her brother's arms.

They pull the cart into the hull of Serenity, and Inara comes rushing down the stairs. Before she can ask what happened though, Mal says," River's fine. Just a bump on the head. Go and help Simon get her into the infirmary." She turns an alarmed expression on her face, and slips her arms under River's and helps Simon move her. He then turns to Zoey still in full captain mode and says, "Wheels up in five. Put us in full burn. I'm eager to be off this gorram rock."She nods and quickly turns and climbs the stairs. "Kaylee scramble those coms now-ish and then tend to Serenity." Kaylee rushes up the stairs after Zoey. Mal closes the door, and then he and Jayne start to unpack the meds.

For the next two weeks they wandered desperately exhausting most of their contacts trying to unload the tracked meds. Finely Bryce had refused to take the goods back, declaring them too risky. Jayne wanted to shoot him, but Mal considered_ that_ too risky. River wasn't doing well without the meds. On them she was lucid almost all the time, speaking in easily understandable metaphors instead of indecipherable riddles and was able to participate on jobs and fly Serenity with efficiency and finesse. But without them it got harder and harder for her to communicate, and control her emotions, and she reverted to almost a pre-Miranda like mental state. Zoey had taken over flying for now. It upset River not to get to fly, but the risk that she would drift her attention or slip into weapon mode while flying was too great without the meds.

Finally after 16 days, a wave came in over the com about a possible buyer on Osiris. No name was given, just a meeting place. Badger was the one who vouched for its safety. Not really a reassurance, but he liked River for some reason and everyone hoped that was enough to keep him from selling them out to the feds. It was still dangerous, even if it wasn't a trap though. They hadn't gone into the core since Miranda. But Jayne was right. They needed the money. They were down to a few cans of protein, a few gallons of fuel, and no meds for River left at all. Any chance was worth it. So they set a course for Osiris and broke out the fanciful clothes. Between Simon and Inara they had enough core clothes to pass from a distance, even if the styles were hopelessly out of fashion. And of course Kaylee had her ball gown. Not exactly inconspicuous, but it was better than her grease stained mechanics overalls. Plus Mal never could say no to Kaylee.

When they touched down in Osiris in early morning, it was foggy over the docks, and very few people were out on the streets. Inara was wearing a beautiful gold sheer wrap, looking completely relaxed. Simon had put on his arrogant spoiled brat expression and one of his nicer silk shirts from his core days, and his round red glasses to screw up any alliance retina scanners. Kaylee stood by his side, clutching his hand and practically jumping with unconcealed excitement in her huge ruffled ball gown. River was curled into Jayne's side muttering softly to herself, dressed in one of Inara's softer wrap dresses. Jayne looked ridiculous in shirt that was so tight it barely buttoned, but he didn't seem to notice. His arms were wrapped tightly around River, and he looked around warily on high alert for any threats. Zoey had on one of Inara's slinky evening gowns on, and was looking decidedly uncomfortable. But her expression was nothing to the utter embarrassment and twitchiness that Mal wore all over his face. He was dressed to the nines in an odd mixture of Simon's vest, an old spare shirt from Inara, Pants from the party on Persephone from a long time ago that were just a little too tight, and a silk cravat around his neck.

The crew all stood at the precipice of the airlock, not quite willing to venture out into any ground so heavily controlled by the Alliance. Then Mal broke the silence, " Come on. The quicker we meet this mysterious buyer, the quicker we can get outta here." And with that they all walked away from the relative safety of Serenity and into the mouth of the enemy's lair.

The meeting was in one of the nicest parts of town at a riverside café in the middle of the city. Which either meant the buyer was inexperienced or very influential and could afford the kind of security that can make a public place completely secure. Or both. The Serenity crew made their way through the city warily, everyone jumpy except for Kaylee. She seemed completely oblivious, smiling and pestering Simon with thousands of questions about what it was like growing up here, and if he recognized this street or that. The corners of Simon's mouth turned up automatically at Kaylee's chatter, and he had to fight it hard in order to keep his arrogant expression in place. As they walked through the city, it seemed to wake up, and affluent citizens began to walk the streets hurrying along to jobs and parties.

Everywhere around them there was technology. Shiny gadgets and finery. It was so different from the life they had on Serenity, and worlds away from the poverty that ravaged the rim planets. Jayne being the tactless ape-man that he was said what they were all thinking, " Wow. This is where you grew up doc? It's amazing your prissy self survived a day out on the rim!" Kaylee shot a hateful glare at Jayne, "What ? I was just sayin'." Mal held up a hand. " Shut it Jayne." The man turned towards mal, indignant, " I didn' do nothing"." Mal glared. "I meant shut up, because we're here."

In front of them was the café. A beautiful rich orange silk awning stretched across the top, it's gold mandarin letters proclaiming it to have the best noodles in the city. A smattering of small wooden tables spilled out around the doors and made the place have an air of casualty. Although the crystal vases on every table put some cracks in that illusion. The crew walked forward and Mal approached one of the many busboys readying the tables for the morning crowds. " Excuse me, but we were told to meet a business partner here. The name's Reynolds." The boys smiles and says, "Oh. He's waiting for you in the back. Please come through." Mal scrutinized the boy carefully and not seeing any guile, decided that if this was a trap the boy didn't know about it.

"Okay, lead the way." Mal said finally. They all walked through the door, and started to follow the busboy back in to the recesses of the café, which was evidently a lot bigger than it looked. The boy stopped at a red door at the vey back of the dining room. He's in our business dining room. Your food's already been laid out and you shouldn't be disturbed." Mal thanked him, and the boy left them alone. Mal went over to River who was still plastered to Jayne's side like a barnacle, and gently put his hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. In a quiet voice he murmured, "What about it little 'tross can you see badness in there?" her eyes went wide and her hands clutched at Jayne's shirt even tighter. " Yes, but not danger." Mal looked puzzled but tried to hide it. It was after all the most complete sentence River had said in three days. "Well, there we are. If 'tross says it's not dangerous that's good enough for me", said Mal. He then squared his shoulders and entered the room.

Seated at the clean white table was a man in his sixties, dressed simply and impeccably with gray hair, a strong jaw line, and gray hair. He stood and smiled genially when Mal came in. But then Mal moved to sit down, and the man caught a glimpse of the crew members standing behind him. His face went pale and his wide with shock. Behind Mal Simon gave a shout of anger and pushed Kaylee behind him in a rough motion, and River gave an almost imperceptible whimper and hide her face against Jayne. Zoey instinctively reacted and moved to close the door and block the exit. Mal looked extremely confused and shouted, " Whoa, whoa, what's goin' on here. Who is this?," he said turning to Simon for an explanation. Simon's jaw clenched and he said in gritted teeth, "This is Gabriel Tam. My father. If you can call him that."

Immediately the room exploded in reaction. Kaylee's scared face morphed into an angry mask of fury. Zoey drew her gun. Jayne shifted River behind him and pulled Vera out of her holster. And Mal. Mal's face hardened into his war face. The cold eyes. The clenched jaw. The blank expression. His hand moved slowly down to touch his hand gun, but he didn't draw it. Mal worked his jaw open, "Right. Well. We're done here. Can't say it was nice to meet you Mr. Tam." He turned and started to leave, the rest of the crew following him.

Gabriel Tam seemed to snap out of his shock though and grabbed onto Simon's sleeve. He burst out, "What's going on Simon? What have you done? Why are there wanted vids for you everywhere? Why are you with these criminals? What's wrong with your sister? And who was that man she was clinging too?" Simon shook his dad's hand off his sleeve, his face contorting into a sneer, "Criminals? You're one to talk, buying black market meds? And as for why the feds are looking for us, don't play stupid you know exactly what's going on. Come to think of it that answers your question about what's _wrong_ with River. They were hurting her. Just like she said. Just like I said. Only it was so much worse than that. You have no idea. The Alliance are monsters. Monsters you threw her to. And as for that man. He's none of your business. Because she's none of your business anymore."

Gabriel's mouth opened and then closed again. Then his eyes clamped tight. And then he said "I'm not a criminal. I'm wearing a wire. This is an Alliance trap. I agreed to help them with this in exchange for some more funding for hospital. They needed someone with a medical background, to make it at least semi-credible. At least that's what they told me. " Everyone drew in a sharp breathe. "_Yi Da Tuo Da Bian._" Mal cursed and ran his hand through his hair again. "We need to get out of here. Now that you've told us we have about ten minutes max, before the feds show. Alright. Let's move people!" The entire crew moved quickly out the door, leaving Gabriel Tam behind.

But once the crew was standing on the street Jayne stopped and yelled, "Wait we still need River's meds." Everyone turned and stared at him. Zoey spoke first. "Look none of us want this for River, but we need to leave, and we don't have the money to get River's meds." But then before Jayne protested Simon jumped in, "We don't need the money if we steal them." Everyone looked at Simon like he'd gone mad. Then Mal spoke "Look doc, I appreciate the enthusiastic suggestion of crime, but a hospital break takes planning that we haven't done, and doing it while the feds are actively looking for us is suicide." But Simon just looked exasperated. " Not if we walk through the front door, with the clearance of a top surgeon. My father's keycard with allow us nearly unlimited access, and the very last place the feds will look for us is the most prominent and secure hospital on the planet. " Everyone looks at Mal. He nods slowly. And then says, "Okay. That makes sense. I guess we need to have ourselves a talk with Dr. Tam"


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel Tam hasn't had many surprises for most of his life. But in the last few years, he's had more than his fair share. And none of them have been pleasant. First his responsible respectable son fell into severe paranoia, and Gabriel was forced to bail him out of jail. Then he woke one morning to the news that Simon had disappeared. Then his children were declared wanted criminals. But nothing was as big a shock as seeing his children walk into that café.

A few weeks ago some men in black suits with blue latex surgical gloves had showed up at his office. They had said that they needed a doctor, a prominent doctor, who was willing to wear a tracker and a wire, in order to catch some drug smugglers. Gabriel had declined. Then they had offered the hospital more money than he made in five years. He declined. They then informed him that the money was his payment and not his incentive, and that refusal would be followed by charges being pressed for uncooperative behavior. He then accepted.

He had wondered why the men in suits were so adamant that he be the one to do this. But that really wasn't a question anymore was it? The feds wanted him, because his children were wanted criminals that had successfully evaded capture for months. They obviously thought that seeing him would stall them long enough for the authorities to come in and capture them. They couldn't station feds anywhere near the meeting point though. Mal was too smart for that and even the feds knew it. So they needed enough time to bring in reinforcements.

And as soon as he realized that he was bait for his children, Gabriel warned them. And then felt his heart rip into two as his children walked away from him again. And then felt it sink as he thought of the consequences of his action. He would lose his medical license, his reputation, his money, his house, and go to an Alliance prison. But they were his children. He reacted before he thought. But then Gabriel got an even bigger shock. His children walked back into the room.

Granted he couldn't see most of them, seeing as the two criminals from earlier were blocking his view. He said angrily, "What's going on? Why are you still here? The feds are coming!" he strains his neck to try and see around the large hulking man with all the guns, "Simon, unless you want to end up in a jail cell, you need to leave now." But Simon didn't answer. The man with the cold eyes and the indecently tight pants did. "Your daughter is in desperate need of medication. You're coming with us to get it." The man was insane. Obviously River needed help, but was he really expecting to get out of Osiris with all the feds surrounding him? There was no way they were going to make it in and out of the hospital before the feds caught up to them. The man's eyes narrowed and he seemed to guess what Gabriel was thinking because then he said, "I couldn't get us out. But River can. She's the second best pilot I've ever seen, and can take out a whole troop of feds in under thirty seconds. But we need her at full strength, and for that she needs her meds."

What was this lunatic talking about? River a pilot? What did he mean take out a troop of feds? River was just a little girl. Gabriel took a step backwards shaking his head, "You're all lunatics. This will do nothing except end with all of us in a jail cell. I am not going anywhere with you people!" Then suddenly a very large revolver was pointed at his head, with Mal looking down the nose of it. "We ain't asking. We're tellin'. "

By the time the crew and the captive Gabriel emerged onto the street again, they were able to hear the sirens. Mal swore,"Feh Feh Pi Goh. Run. We need to get to Serenity. We're not making it to the hospital on foot. Too many feds." Jayne scooped up River in his arms, Inara and Kaylee gathered the trains of their skirts, as Zoey ripped off the train of hers. And then they ran. The light all around them was a blood red, as the fugitive warning went out across Osiris, and the alarm lights flashed on almost every surface. The pounding of their feet sounded like a thundering herd clattering down the marble cobblestones, fleeing like prey through the broad manicured streets.

They made it to Serenity breathless and disheveled. Zoey hit the button to close the door as soon as the last crew member was in. The crew was a sigh to see with hair in disarray, clothing torn, and ears ringing. But despite the harrying run through the city, Mal still had the revolver pointed evenly at Gabriel's head. As the crew ran up the ramp into the cargo hold of Serenity he shouted out instructions without ever looking away from his hostage. "I need wheels up two minutes ago, Zoey get us there. " Zoey ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time."Kaylee I need you tendin' the engines." She followed instructions grabbing her tool belt that she had left on one Jayne's weight bench as she went. "Jayne take 'tross to the infirmary. Inara I need you to go to the infirmary too and get ready to help Simon if he needs it." Both of them left, River still dangling like a limp noodle in Jayne's arms, leaving Mal alone with the two Tam men. "Simon, which hospital are we headin' to?" Simon answered, "Mercy General, three blocks west of city hall." His eyes never left the floor, refusing to acknowledge his father standing a foot away. Mal nods to himself, "Right. Run up to the bridge and tell Zo, and then get to standby in the infirmary." Simon hesitates a fraction of a second looking up briefly at his father. Then he squares his shoulders and hurries up the stairs.

Mal is now standing in the middle of his all too empty cargo bay pointing a gun at the skull of his medic's father. His albatross's father. He lowered the gun. He wasn't going anywhere now anyway. Then both Gabriel and Mal lurched slightly as Serenity took to the air. Gabriel saw the gun go down in his peripheral and slowly turned. His eyes a fraction wider, and said in a quiet voice, "You must know this isn't going to work." Mal, much calmer now, said in his amiable voice, "It will if you don't stop it from working." Gabriel just shook his head, "I won't stop it. But this day will still end with everyone on this ship in Alliance custody." Gabriel would have thought Mal would be irritated but instead his expression softened. "You have no idea. We'll be fine. We'll have River." Gabriel became agitated, "So you say, but River's only a little girl. And whatever is wrong with her, it's obvious she's in no position to help anyone." Now it was Mal's turn to become irritated. "She's hardly a child. And with her meds, this job is well within her abilities. As for what's "wrong" with her. I'll let River tell you about it after we get her better." Gabriel just turned away, his lips pursed. Mal went silent too.

In the silence, they could hear in the background the Alliance sirens slowly fading as the cruisers moved to the outer city unknowingly in the wrong direction. Then the turns Serenity took became almost imperceptibly sharper, as the streets narrowed the closer they got to the center of Osiris. And then after what seemed like an eternity of tense silence, Serenity touched down. Right outside of Mercy General Hospital. Showtime.

It was decided that the only ones entering the hospital would be the Tams, Mal and Jayne. Simon because he knew what meds to get, Mal for security and to guard , and Jayne because he wouldn't leave River. The con they were running was an alteration of the con they ran on Ariel. Because they had no medic uniforms or fancy painted fake ambulance, they would all be playing druggies. Mal, Simon, and Jayne would pretend to be high and bringing in their friend (River) that had ODed. Then would swoop in and offer to handle it, flashing his hospital ID and taking them all back to an exam room. In the Exam room, they would change River into a hospital gown and then snatch some scrubs from the nearby locker room. Then they would all help wheel River on a hospital bed up to the third floor where the necessary meds were. After injecting River with the meds, they would only need to invade detection for five minutes until the meds kicked in. At which point it wouldn't matter if they were found because River could clear a pathway through the hospital employees long enough to get up to the roof where Serenity would be waiting. Easy. If the plan ran smooth.

And the plan running smooth relied on a lot of sketchy variables. River's meds kicking in fast enough. Gabriel not giving them away. The nurses allowing Gabriel to handle it. Simon not being recognized by any old colleagues. Zoey being able to land Serenity on the roof. And most of all that the feds wouldn't figure out where they'd gone for approximately twenty minutes. It was far too risky for Mal to ever approve of. But his Albatross needed her meds. And it was too late to turn back now.

The plan started off well. Jayne made a convincing high person. Stumbling around, slurring his words, and throwing a slow lazy punch at every nurse that came his way. Simon was a little too stiff to be believable, but thankfully no one was paying him any attention next to Mal. He was spinning in dizzyingly fast circles, and had a string of impressively creative curses sung in a cheerful voice to the tune of itsy-bitsy spider pouring out of his mouth. River slumped against her brother, as Simon tried to explain in slurred and broken English that she had ODed on a vague and sinister substance. played his part well, sweeping into the chaotic ER like he owned it. Because he did. Or at least about 10% of it. He turned to one of the nurses and said, "For Heaven's sake. This is ridiculous. These miscreants are disturbing the other patients. I'll handle this." She looked up at him puzzled, but he just flashed his ID and she shrugged and said, "Be my guest."

Gabriel moved toward Mal and grabbed his shoulder. He looked down his nose at him at sneered, "This way. Your friend needs medical attention." Mal stopped and stared at the doctor, their eyes locking for a moment. Mal's have just the slightest glimmer of surprise, like he had expected the Doctor to give them away as soon as they walked through the door. Gabriel's are full of fear. But they both let the tiny moment pass. And Mal replies in slurred speech, "oh. Alrigh' then. Wher we goin'? Will it be fun doctor man?" Gabriel does not reply but instead turns to his children and Jayne, and without meeting Simon's eyes commands loudly, "This way. Bring her through here." Jayne gives a few more lazy punches to the surrounding air, but then all four of the fake drug addicts fall in line behind the eldest Tam and make their way to the Exam Room.

Once inside the relative safety of the curtained walls. Jayne and Simon started to help River out of her clothes when suddenly Gabriel hissed at Jayne angrily, "What do you think you're doing! Keep your hands off of my daughter. "Jayne started forward but Mal once again cut him off. "This is a waste of time. Jayne's her husband. Now why don't you make yourself useful and tell me where the locker room is." But Gabriel didn't hear anything past "he's her husband". His little girl. Married. To this mercenary. To this caveman. He was only vaguely aware that his mouth was hanging open. And then his mind was forced back to the present with a harsh slap across the face from Mal. He answered the previous question in a dazed voice, "Down the hall. First door on your left."

Mal grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the exam room. Gabriel tried to form another question as they were walking. But all he came up with was, "Why? How?" Mal looked back at him with an exasperated expression. "River can tell you that herself along with the when and what of it too, as soon as she's better. We need to get moving." So Gabriel swallowed deeply and forced himself to push back the shock, and the anger, and the worry, and focus on the task at hand.

After he and Mal had changed and scrounged up a pair of scrubs for Simon and Jayne each, they returned to the exam room. They handed over the scrubs and Simon and Jayne changed into to them. Dr. Tam attempting to pretend Jayne didn't exist. Then all of them grabbed a hold of River's hospital bed, and began to wheel it down the hall. They made it up the elevator and all the way to the third floor, before the first major wrinkle of the plan occurred.

used to work the same rotation in the ER that Simon did. They ate lunch together sometimes. He had a good sense of humor. And an excellent memory. He also had the misfortune to be on the third floor waiting for the elevator. His eyes widened as soon as he saw Simon, obviously recognizing him. He opened his mouth and got out "Simo..." before Jayne bopped him on the side of the head immediately, knocking him out. Mal groaned and ran his fingers through his already mussed hair. It wasn't an immediate problem, but it would cut severely into their time. If he woke up before River was fully recovered, or if anyone found him unconscious, they were gorram sunk.

They stuffed the unlucky Dr. Nortic into a janitor's closet and kept moving. Gabriel was appalled. His sweet compassionate son had just stuffed his former colleague in between a dustpan and a mop. His son that had cried and begged for him to stop and help an injured dog was carrying a gun like he did it every day. And for all Gabriel knew he did. What had these people done to his son?

But just then they arrived at the pharmaceutical stockroom. They wheeled River in, and left her hospital bed just inside the door. The long rows of rare medication were too narrow for the bed. Mal called out, "Find River's stuff first and take care of her. Then take as much as the expensive stuff as you can." Gabriel protested. "You can't take this medicine!" But instead of Mal, this time it was Simon. "You don't understand anything. Even at top black market prices, this medicine will be ten times as accessible for the average rim person. This medicine will do more to save lives on the rim, than it ever will in this hospital. This medicine will be completely replaced with new medicine within hours. Not to mention the money from the sales will keep us in the air for months. Don't you dare judge us for doing what we have to." By the end of the rant, he was shouting through clenched teeth.

He whirled around and stalked down the aisles muttering to himself. Gabriel was shocked. His son had just yelled at him for objecting to theft. He needed to sit down. But he supposed there was plenty of time for that in prison. Simon continued running his hands down the shelves until he came upon a dark brown miniscule bottle. He pulled out a drawer from underneath the shelf, and grabbed a needle. Then he cleaned out the collection of white bottles in the next row and swept them into his bag, and went back to his sister's side.

But when he got there, Jayne stepped in front of River looking alarmed. "Why do you have a needle doc?"He said with suspicion in his voice. Simon didn't say anything, and Jayne moved even closer to River. "No. No way. No needles. You know how she reacts. After what they did." Simon just sighed. And ran his fingers through his hair. Gabriel gave a double take at that one. He looked so much like that criminal when he did that.

"This is the fastest way. I got enough pills to last for nearly a year, but it won't be fast enough." Jayne just got closer to River. "Jayne. This is wasting time. We don't have a choice about this." Jayne hesitated for a moment longer, and then said quietly, "Do it quick doc. "and then moved aside and went around to the other side of the bed. Simon filled the needle with the opaque white liquid. He positioned himself near his sister's left arm. Then he looked up and told Jayne, "Get ready to hold her" and then at Mal, "start getting the haul together. The usual stuff. "And then he stuck the needle in River's arm and the thrashing started.

Jayne clamped his arms down on hers, and Simon slowly started to push the plunger down. River still managed to roll form side to side. Her legs kicking and failing like fish deprived of water. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream, and tears streamed down her face. Mal busily concerned himself with finding the most expensive meds there, now recognizing the bottles on sight after running medical cons so many times, the whole time trying not to think about River fighting against the two people who loved her most in the world.

Gabriel couldn't look away though. He stared at his daughter, whimpering and writhing on the bed, needle stuck in her arm. His sweet genius daughter. Memories flooded his brain. River swirling to violin music, her eyes closed, her silken hair and silk skirt streaming out behind her. River playing Mozart and Tchaikovsky at the same time on two different pianos at the city music center. River winning first place at the science fair when she was six. Nothing like this woman who was on that hospital bed. What had happened?

But slowly the thrashing subsided. Simon pulled away the empty syringe. And she became calmer. And then River gave a little moan and after a few minutes of tense silence, she sat up. Her eyes opened. And then she smiled. And suddenly Gabriel Tam was seeing his baby girl for the first time in a very long time. And then the alarms went off.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long. I had college stuff, an insane amount of calculus, and debate competitions. Hope whoever's been reading this can forgive me.

Simon didn't see his father's distress or his relief. He was a little preoccupied. He knew exactly what those alarms meant. They meant that there was a rather large wrinkle in the plan, that the hospital knew that there were intruders, and that the Alliance would be aware of their position. He knew that the alarms meant they had to get to roof fast. And they needed to get of this planet fast. But then River turned to him with the smile that meant so much to him and said, "Gege, don't worry. River will get us safely back to Serenity. River's mind is clear of the fog, and steadied by her rock." At this pronunciation she smiled up at Jayne. Simon sighed. Although he never approved of or even much liked Jayne, he had to admit, he did wonders for River's mental state. And some of his anxiety was, against all reason, abated by her declaration that she would get them to serenity.

River stood up abruptly and took Jayne's hand. Mal came back from the around the shelves and scooped up River into a large hug. "Good to have you back 'tross. But we need to get outta here." River just smiled and turned toward the door. However when she saw her father the smile slid off of her face. "You." She said. Gabriel looked a little stunned. The River standing in front of him was not the same fragile creature he had seen over the last few hours. Or the same sweet innocent he had sent away to school. She stood ramrod straight, and while the expression on her face was one of pale anger, it was not the unstable panic that had obscured her features previously.

When he finally unglued his tongue the only thing he could say was, "Yes. Me." Mal looked startled, like he'd just remembered that Gabriel was there. He then hurried to stand in between them, blocking River's line of sight to her father. He said quietly, "They're coming for us. The longer we wait, the more they're will be to take down." River continued to stare at her father, and then said, "Yes. We should go." Then she pushed past her father dragging Jayne behind her, with an ease that would've been comical, if Mal and Simon hadn't seen it so many times.

Simon began helping Mal load up the medicines into a couple of paramedic bags. With the loot in hand they then followed River out into the hallway. Gabriel trailed along behind them, like a middle aged duckling, still staring hard at River, who was now loading bullets into Vera with a serene expression. "Gege, Which way to the sky?" she said, with a hard cold look in her eye. Gabriel was at once again struck by how similar she looked to Mal. It was strange, and it caused him a sharp and immediate pain in his chest. Simon interrupted his train of thought though with his answer, "left, and up the stairs."

They all took off at a run to the left, and with the alarms still blaring in their ears, made their way to the stair well. Mal opened the door to the stairs, and looked to Simon, "How many floors away from the roof are we again?" Simon just looked him, and deadpan said, "twenty-three". Mal swore loudly "Gou cao de." He then pushed open the door, tightened his grip on the paramedic bags in his hand, and began to run.

Three floors later they were all out of breathe, and by six floors Gabriel was nearly hyperventilating. Within two more he had fallen behind, and then in between the next two floors Gabriel was forced to stop. Simon looked up at him, his hands resting on his knees, his shoulders hunched. And then without a word Simon slipped his arms under his father and leaned him, so that he took most of his father's weight. The rest of the crew didn't say a word. They only restarted the long trek up the stairs, slowing the pace only fractionally.

By the time the crew and Dr. Tam emerged onto the roof, everyone was breathing heavily, and Dr. Tam was almost entirely supported by his son. As soon as they burst onto the flat concrete roof, they were assaulted by the air and the noise from Serenity's engines. The firefly touched down onto the hospital roof. River face broke into a large smile, all pretense of being calm and emotionless dropped in an instant, just glad to be reunited with her Serenity. She ran straight for it, jumping up into the hull, before the ramp had even fully unfolded. Simon and Jayne looked at each other and smiled as if to say, "She's back" sharing a rare moment of camaraderie. Mal on the other hand kept his captain face on. He wouldn't be satisfied until his people were far away from the clutches of the Alliance.

As soon as the ramp was all the way down, Simon slipped his arm out from under his father's and walked toward Kaylee who was running down the ramp, enclosing her in a tight embrace. Mal stalked swiftly onto the bridge and began loading the illegal meds into the hidey-hole in the side of the ship, stopping his hurried and almost manic action only to give Inara a small kiss as she came up beside him. Jayne proceeded to jog up the ramp and help Mal load the meds. Gabriel stayed back. Hovering on the edge of the gangway. Simon looked up from Kaylee's shoulder over at his father.

"Come on. What are you waiting for? Get in here." Simon shouted. Gabriel didn't say anything. Gabriel just stared back. He stared at his son. His fugitive of a son. What could he do? If he stayed he would go down as a criminal, there would be no leniency, and he would end up behind bars. But walking into that ship would be to leave civilization behind. And not only that it meant facing the children that had suffered through his mistakes. And not just vague insulations and angry looks. But details about what exactly their life was now. And Gabriel stared back at his son, his son who carried a gun now. And he didn't think he could handle that. He took a step back.

Simon stared at his father. The man who had very coldly informed him that his actions were shaming the family in a police station, nearly two years ago. But that man was not recognizable in the man standing before him. The man who was looking at him with what seemed to be an overwhelming sense of fear. But neither did he seem like the man who let the swearing slide because of the dinosaurs attacking. So Simon just stared. But then his father took a step back. And suddenly Simon was hit with the realization his father was perhaps preparing to stay behind. And as he made this realization Simon heard the low buzzing rumble that meant the ramp was preparing to raise itself.

Simon called out again to his father, "Don't be stupid. There is no going back. Just get in. Now and before the airlock closes." Gabriel hesitated. And then the ramp started to lift. Gabriel appeared to be startled awake. He shook his head and started forward. But the ramp was already lifting. Panic flashed across Simon's mind as he disengaged himself from Kaylee and rushed forward to the intercom box by the now almost halfway up ramp. He jabbed his finger into the button, and yelled "Mei Mei Dad's not inside yet. Lower the ramp." The ramp did not stop it's movement however. Simon jammed his finger into the button again. "Mei Mei the ramp!" but all he gets back is radio silence. He lunges for the airlock then, and hangs out of it reaching out his hands. Gabriel shouts, "What are you doing! Get back inside!" Mal runs up to the intercom, and yells, "River, stop the ramp now! That's an order!"

The ramp stopped. And then lowered. Mal moved forward and pulled Simon back inside the ship. And by the time the ramp lowered fully, they were both on their feet again, they're clothes slightly rumpled. Mal ran his hands through his hair, and proceeded to stomp up the stairs, muttering under his breath "Shiong mao niao." Because right behind Gabriel was in handcuffs and right behind him was an entire squadron of Alliance soldiers.

Mal threw up his hands and with a voice dripping in sarcasm asked, "Can we help you gentleman?" The commander in front looked at him, raised his eyebrow, and then opened fire on the crew of the serenity. Mal dived left barely in time, the bullet ricocheting off the metallic floor of the ramp. The rest of the crew moved automatically as soon as the first shot rang out. Bullets flew everywhere. Gabriel sank to the floor his hands covering his ears. Zoey raced down the stairs, ducking to avoid stray bullets and took cover just inside the open cargo bay, peeking her head out every few shots to help Mal return fire on the Alliance agents. Simon called out in a panicked voice, "Dad, Where are you?" but received no answer back. Jayne looked across to see the worry etched across his brother-in-law's face. And then before anyone could try and stop him, he ran out into the open line of fire, calling out," Cover me!" and running straight for Dr. Tam. Zoey exclaimed, "Wo De Tian A" as she and Mal saw him and immediately switched targets, in an attempt to cover Jayne's back.

Jayne blasted away several of the officers in front of him, Vera becoming slick with blood from the blowback of such short range shots. Gray brain matter spattering across his shoes as he runs towards the cowering Dr. Tam. Jayne grabs the scruff of the doctor's neck and drags him back behind him, sending him sprawling several feet, with his left hand while lobbing a grenade overhand at regiment of soldiers as he turns and runs. Jayne grabs up the scruff of the Doctor once again as the explosion goes off behind him.

The screams and moans of the injured soldiers fill the air, and it takes a few seconds for their comrades to begin firing again in their shock. But by that time Jayne is already stumbling into Serenity, and Mal is already screaming into the com at River to close the ramp, and seal the airlock. Shots are fired, but they don't do any damage, because the ramp is already closing.

The instant the crew can hears the faint hiss of the airlock seal, they feel the force of Serenity surging into the sky, winging them away from the Alliance that would do them harm. Simon rushes toward his frightened father, and lifts his wrists, examining the handcuffs. He looks to Mal and say, "I think Kaylee's laser saw should cut through this without problem." Then he turns toward Jayne and in quiet voice he says simply, "Thank You." Jayne acknowledges the sentiment with a nod. Then Simon makes his way over to him, and begins to examine the shrapnel wounds in his shoulders. He is about to declare him fine, before he notices the growing spread of blood across Jayne's abdomen. He startles and lifts up the hem of Jayne's shirt, only to draw in a sharp gasp of breathe when he beholds the jagged bullet wound just below his left ribs.

And then without thinking the Doctor Simon Tam takes over. This is no weak and uncertain alliance born civilian. Or even the façade of a brown coat rebel that he has been cultivating, but rather the sure and confident presence of mind that comes with a gifted healer. He calls out for help, and Inara comes rushing over, her silk skirts rustling against the dirty floor of the cargo hold. Together they wedge themselves with difficulty underneath Jayne's huge arms and half drag him toward the infirmary. Simon and Inara set him down on the exam table. Simon calls out the names of various medicines, and Mal and Zoey sift through the large bags of contraband lying on the floor of the cargo bay, for bottles matching his description. He keeps pressure on the wound with hands that do not shake. He jams a needle full of sedative into Jayne's thick trunk of a neck without hesitation.

But no one calls for River on the coms. Because it is all understood that they cannot afford to lose their pilot, their albatross, with the Alliance hot on their trail. And lose her they will. The last time that Jayne was hurt, River shut down. Screamed for hours before retreating into a silence than neither Mal nor Simon could pull her from. Granted she can probably feel that something is wrong, but she is unlikely to lose it so long as Jayne is conscious and still sending calming thoughts to her. But if she knows for sure that he is seriously injured she will be lost. Lost among emotions she cannot handle. So no one touches the com.

Meanwhile Inara does what she always does. She comforts people. She is the one who takes by the elbow, and gently leads him down into the engine room. She is the one who speaks in soft tones about how proud he must be of his son. And how thankful she is that he helped her family get into the hospital to get River's meds. And how much his children look like him. Inara is the one who introduces him to his daughter-in-law for the first time. And continues to talk to him about the trivialities of Osiris society parties while Kaylee takes a laser saw to his handcuffs.

After the handcuffs come off, Inara leads Dr. Tam into the galley, and begins to busy herself by making tea. Mal comes in a few minutes later, explaining that Simon kept Zoey with him to assist with extracting the bullet. He wraps his arms mindlessly around Inara's waist and buries his head into her shoulder. He stays like that for a few moments before lifting his head up and shifting so that only one arm remains wrapped around Inara, facing Dr. Tam who is still staring at the table like a wooden doll. Mal looks at him speculatively. Then as Mal's lips start to form a question, Dr. Tam asks one of his own. He lifts his head just enough to look at Mal sideways and says, "So what now?'


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys so much for reading! And waiting patiently for this chapter. (I hope) sorry it took me so long. I lost the use of the computer I was using to write. But I have a new one! So here's this chapter.**

Mal has had a rough time of it lately. The Bryce job went south with all sorts of complications, the cargo still cluttering up their hidey-hole. Then River ran out of meds, and Serenity was still dangerously low on fuel. And then Dr. Tam's alliance trap. And then Dr. Tam's con at the hospital. And then the gunfight with the Alliance on the roof. And now his mercenary is bleeding internally from a gunshot wound and his pilot's father is sitting in his ship, looking at him with the whiskey colored eyes of his albatross, asking him the one question among thousands he knows the answer to.

"What next?" Dr. Tam asks. Mal answers without hesitation, "Now we leave this gorram rock as fast as we can, refuel on Bellerophon with the money from selling the meds from the hospital, and then head all the way out to Lilac where we can unload the tracked meds. Then we buy as much fuel as we can and hide out in the black for the next four months until the alliance calls off the worst of its manhunt. We can drop you off in Regina with enough cash to last you for a few months on our way out to Lilac. They could use a doctor there." Inara and Dr. Tam are quiet for a moment. Then Doctor Tam says in a quiet voice, "And my wife? She could be taken into custody for conspiracy, even if she doesn't know anything."

Mal's eyebrows furrow. "There's no way we can make a stop for her. The alliance is right behind us." Dr. Tam looks down at the table again, and Inara looks away, over her shoulder, her expression sorrowful. Just then Simon walks in, shirt still covered in Jayne's blood, and says, "Actually we might be able to. Our house is on the outskirts of town, in the direction of Bellerophon. If we can get a message to her, so she's waiting for us on the roof, we can make the pickup in less than two minutes." Mal looks at him with incredulity, "Shi ma? Is that what you think? The alliance is literally a few hundred meters behind us. We can't make a stop."

"We can if it's short." Simon says, his resolve visibly strengthening with every word. His face, already hardening into its stubborn expression, his arms lifting to cross in front of his chest. The picture of an immovable object. Mal has learned to dread that look. He breathes in deep and tries to stay calm. He replies, "We could if we could comm the house, but we can't. The Alliance will have surely cut off all communications in and out." Simon arms get tighter across his chest. "And I'm willing to bet River can hack her way through." Mal voice rose, his arms rising up to mirror Simon's "I'm sure she can. But it will take time. Time that we don't have." Then suddenly, River's voice floats over the comm," I already have hacked through Mal, let Simon send his message. So then we can all move on from this."

Mal drops his hands and started to storm out toward the control room. Simon rushes to the comm, and begins to type out his message: Go to the roof. This is Simon and Gabriel. If you need proof, Simon's favorite toy when he was little was a stuffed mastodon. Gabriel eats apricot jam for breakfast. Simon pushes send and Gabriel starts forward, moving to thank his son, but as he lowers his hand to put it on Simon's shoulders, Simon shrugs away. He turns from his father and with a worried glance at Kaylee, he runs toward his captain and his sister.

When he gets outside the door of the control room, Simon can hear them arguing. He walks in and sees his sister is seated in the captain's chair, Simon stands in the doorway silently watching as she and Mal yell at each other.

Mal is irate," How dare you disobey my orders! I am captain, what I say goes. I am trying to protect my crew!" River looks upset, anger tinged with defensiveness flooding her voice, "I can do this! You don't need to protect me all the time. It will only take a minute! The message has already gone out. What would be the point in not stopping now?" Mal's eyebrows almost hit his hairline. "What's the point? What's the point? The point is not stopping to pick yet another fugitive, while twenty ships are on our tail!" Mal takes a step closer to River, looking like he's going for the controls, when River's hand clamps down on his wrist. Mal turns his eyes slowly toward his pilot, full of steely fury. In that quiet voice that everyone on Serenity has come to fear far more than his showy threats of bodily harm, Mal says "Best let go of my wrist 'tross, before I decide to be less than forgiving about this small bout of insanity." River just gazes back, her expression of ambivalence unchanging. Then she says in a whisper, "Come on Mal. That's my mother you're talking about leaving."

River drops her hold on the captain's wrist, and Mal holds her gaze for only a moment before turning away, not looking at River who is still flying Serenity at break neck speed toward the Tam mansion. He waits for her say something else to him, and when she doesn't, he says, "I'd accept that if you hadn't just tried to leave your father to the Alliance. What's the real reason your doin' this Mei Mei?" She still doesn't look back, but this time she does answer. She says, "For Gege. He saved his father, he wants his mother. I owe him this. Jayne says family needs to be taken care of. Simon is family, even if my parental units are not any longer."

Mal drops his head and sighed. Simon moves from the doorway where he was watching the exchange, to stand behind Mal. He gazes with wide eyes at his sister but says nothing. Mal raises his head and said, "Fine. Just this once I will forgive this insubordination. For the good doctor. Since the message is already sent. Never again. We clear." River simply nods. Simon inches forward to place his hand on his sister's shoulder and then turns to look at Mal. He looks at him, sees the worry wrinkling on his brow, the affection for River in his eyes, and has nothing to say except, "Thank you." Mal looks back him and says, "Thank me if and when we get off this gorram rock alive." Then he turns and walks away. Simon turns to follow, and as he exits the room in the corner of his eye he can see River sigh and lightly caress one of Wash's dinosaurs.

Mal and Simon walk back into the galley where the rest of the crew are waiting. Simon calls over to Kaylee, deliberately not looking at his father, and says, "We're going to try and pick up mother." Kaylee looks up from her cup of tea and gives a small smile and says, "That's nice. I'll finally be able to meet her." Mal moves back over to Inara and winds his arm once more around her waist, as Simon leaves the room again, going back to his infirmary to check on his brother-in-law. Everyone in the Galley is silent, as they wait to get closer to the Tam mansion.

Minutes tick by in awkward silence, as Serenity approaches the outskirts of Osiris City. For a while nothing could be heard in the ship except for the gentle thrum of the engines. Then River's voice floated once more through the comm, announcing," We're approaching the roof. I'll drop the ramp soon, you'll have 90 seconds to get her inside, before the Alliance ships get in shooting range and we'll have to leave."

Everyone except Jayne and River, files into the cargo bay in preparation to disembark, while Serenity descends lower toward the flat terrace roof of the Tam estate. Simon finally turns and faces his father, looking him in his eyes, and says, "You'll need to convince her quickly. I will be only a distraction to slow her from making a desicion. I'll stay and do my job as a physician in helping Jayne." Then as he begins to turn away, Gabriel shouts after him, "Wait! Come with me, She'll want to see you." Simon just keeps walking back toward his infirmary, answering back over his shoulder, "Then all the more incentive for her to get on the ship quickly."

Zoey gives a small smile at that, and turns toward Kaylee saying, "He doesn't realize it yet, but he sounds more like Mal every day." Kaylee and Inara smile at that. Mal doesn't look at any of his crew, his eyes facing straight ahead at the airlock, and then says, "Hush all'a you. We have to do this quick like. Tam get up here in front." Gabriel walks on shaky legs to stand nearer to the airlock beside Mal, his hands twisting together. He starts to say, "Thank yo-" but Mal cuts him off, saying instead, "It's your daughter you should be thanking, or maybe your son, seeing as this is supposed to be a sort of gift from her to him. The rest of us would have left."

Gabriel says nothing to this cold assertion, but instead proceeds to imitate Mal in his single minded focus of the wall before him. Serenity begins to shudder and shake as she gets closer to the surface of the roof of the Tam mansion, and her thrusters push unevenly against the concrete, scorching the edge of the azaleas bordering the roof. A woman stands in the shadows of the small doorway leading up from the house. She is tall, with wavy chestnut hair that falls just below her shoulders, the right side pulled back just slightly with a jeweled clip. Her clothes are sumptuous silk, but modestly cut, bringing to mind genteel elegance. But that image is ruined by the way she clutches at her silk shawl, arms tightened around herself, giving the impression of a frightened little girl. Her expression is that of hunted prey, nervous and twitchy.

This is Regan Tam. Alliance born and raised, and as a young woman was the belle of Osiris society. She was the perfect socialite, well-mannered, well-bred, and well-educated. A little too educated perhaps, since she fell in love with a young medical student far beneath her social status when she was only 19. Gabriel Tam was almost a decade older than her, and far too poor for her family to consider suitable. It didn't matter. Regan fell for his mind, enraptured by his intelligence. So she married him anyway, and then pushed, wheedled, encouraged, and hinted until his position became worthy of hers. It was her connections that propelled her husband to his position as department head.

But that woman died a long time ago. It was a slow death barely perceptible at first. It started the day River went away but that was only the small death of bereavement that every mother experiences. It got infinitely worse when Simon was lost to them, lost in his own paranoia, leaving them more and more each passing hour without his little sister. So much so that when he left physically she hardly noticed the difference. But the final death of Regan Tam's heart was when she the news came over the coms one day while she was getting her nails done, that awful message from Miranda. The realization that Simon's paranoia was not so unreasonable. That was what finally broke her. So maybe it was more accurate to say that Regan Tam's remains were waiting huddled in its fine wrappings on the roof of the home that used to house Regan.

But that was about to change. Serenity touched down on the roof. And then the ramp slowly lowered. The airlock doors unfurled. And revealed Regan's husband. There were others standing beside him, strangers, but Regan didn't really see any of them. Her vision had tunneled down to Gabriel. Mal had made the smart choice by insuring that his face was the first she saw. Her lovely doctor. She was busy mentally checking him for wounds. There was blood splattered on his the right side of his face, its rust color contrasting sharply against his pale skin, but it didn't seem to be coming from him. His hair and clothes rumpled, but he seemed physically unharmed. His expression however. His expression, she didn't know what to do with. His face was stretched tight with worry, his shoulders tense with the weight of it, but his eyes. His eyes had a light in it that both of them had been missing for so long.

When he came forward and embraced her she was still trying to puzzle it out. But she didn't wonder at it for long, because Gabriel leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "They are both alive. And waiting for us. They are on the ship, we need to get on, fast." And with those words Regan Tam came back to life. She was not whole, not by a long shot, but her eyes suddenly matched those of her husbands. Alight with hope.

Zoey watched with the Tam's reunion with the hole in her heart more tender that it had been in a while, as she saw husband and wife brought together again. So unfair, that even the Alliance scum got to have their love intact. But she said nothing. Because the only way to keep breathing was to do what she always did. Follow her Captain, Her Sargent, Her guiding light. He didn't fill the hole, not even slightly, but at least she wasn't fumbling around blind like she was after she lost her sister.

Even if he was a much different man than the one who pulled her to safety so very long ago. After all that man wouldn't have stopped for Mrs. Tam. But Miranda changed them all. It had put hole in her heart, but it had also restored Mal's faith. Maybe not in God, but faith none the less. Faith that in the end, humanity could still change for the better. The operative, River's recovery, and the even the small unsuccessful uprisings that followed had proved that to him. So here she was watching the Tams hurry up the gangplank of Serenity. Products of Mal's faith.

Regan didn't hesitate for even a second. Mal had been so sure that she would, had braced himself for the Alliance coming in to range, for the shots fired, and for having to knock his 'tross's ma unconscious. But Regan just hurried into the belly of Serenity, proving her son's words to be correct. Her anxiousness to see her children, pushed her hesitation out of the way, and made her hurry all the more. Gabriel seemed to be surprised as well, to see his wife come along without any trouble. But he too said nothing as he kept his hand tightly in hers, and walked back into the criminal's ship.

As soon as their feet crossed the threshold the ramp began to fold up and the airlock began to seal behind them, Serenity lurching steeply as she shot back up into the sky, once more giving chase to the Alliance. For the first time Mrs. Tam looked at her surroundings, observing with critical eyes the grimy ship, and it's even grimier crew. Her gaze fell over the man who stood with his hand on a large and frightening gun on his hip, his hair ruffled, a brown coat of rebellion around his shoulders, a glaringly obvious declaration of an outlaw. She didn't feel comfortable looking at him, and instead moved her gaze to the tall dark woman by the door, but she couldn't look at her for too long either, something in her expression and stance just screamed dangerous. So on to the young girl standing behind him, staring at her with open curiosity. Streaks of dirt on either cheek, underneath wide eyes the color of milk chocolate, peering at her beneath a mop of messy straw-colored waves. A pretty thing for such an unmannered creature. Standing on the other side of the outlaw was a Lady who looked at once more out of place than Regan did, and also more fitting standing in this dirty hold. She wore the grace of an aristocrat and the clothes of a companion, a peacock among pigeons. Regan was briefly curious about why she was here.

But her curiosity was short lived as her mind turned again to her children she looked to her husband to question him, but before a word left her mouth, the man with the gun called out to the dangerous woman in a loud voice that startled her, " We need to get to Bellephron. Now." The woman nodded and the crew jumped into action. The dirty girl moving past her in a rush, the two outlaws rushing up the stairs into the recesses of the ship, leaving behind the Lady and the Tams. The Lady looked with pity upon the couple, and said with a soft voice, "Come on, Simon is this way" as she gestured to the corridor underneath the stairs.

"But what about River?" Regan asked worried. Gabriel's lips pressed into a thin tight line. But Inara just stated with a carefully blank expression placed over her face, "River's busy. You'll be able to see her soon, but for now we should go and see your son." Regan worry increased with the vague answer, and she asked, "Busy?" looking at both the Lady and Gabriel. But her query received no answer. Her worry mounted even higher, but sensing she was not going to get the answers she so desperately seeked about her daughter, she allowed her husband to tuck her arm into his and lead her through the corridor and through the bright yellow galley toward the infirmary. She was glad to be by his side again. He had been distant since the Miranda transmission, refusing to talk about its content at all, much less how it pertained to their children. But now it seemed, they were once again a team.

They drew nearer to the infirmary, and Regan Tam took in the sight before her. Her son looked very different than she remembered him, and yet exactly the same. As she watched he leaned over the very large man laying down on the operating table inside the infirmary, tending to the severe wound blooding his abdomen. He looked so like his father like this. She was frozen where she stood. What could she say to him? Apologies hardly seemed adequate. He was unlikely to want to hear her questions much less answer them. But then he looked up from his work and spotted her. His eyes met hers. And she couldn't get to him fast enough.

He met her at the doorway to his infirmary, and she wrapped her arms around him in a vice like grip, as the rest of the crew, and Gabriel, held their breath waiting for his reaction. He tensed at first. But then she was whispering something to him that they couldn't hear, but that obviously meant something important, because then he was hugging her back just as tightly. What they didn't hear, was Regan's fervent and sincere apologies.

**P.S I hoped a fixed those confusing tenses. Thanks for the reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Guys, Thanks for the great Reviews! And thanks for reading! It means so much to me. And since it's been so long since the last update, I made this one extra-long. So without further ado… I present CHAPTER 5!**

As mother and son pulled away from their reconciliatory embrace two things happened. One was that Jayne finally succumbed to unconsciousness. The other was that at the exact same moment River, who was startled by the sudden absence of his thoughts, dropped into catatonia at the helm of Serenity causing the ship to keel sharply to the right.

Syringes and medications flew out of their drawers, scattering across the floor. The couch outside the infirmary and all of its pillows slid downwards, knocking Gabriel off his feet, forcing him to hold on to his wife, Regan, who is screaming and has latched onto the right doorframe. Inara is her mirror image on the left door frame, but instead of screaming, is cursing like Mal, mostly aimed in Simon's direction, "Yi Da Dwei Bun Chou Roh. How hard can it possibly be to keep that Chwen Go Shi awake? Tian Di Wu Yowng Doctor, can't even keep that Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang from passing out! Ni Men Dou Shi Sha Gua! Kan Wo Men Zen Me Si Ba!" Simon, who is now leaned over Jayne and gripping the sides of the table, both to keep self from slipping and to keep Jayne from being thrown off the table, replies back, "Chwee Ni Duh! Joo Fuen Chse passed out, despite giving him enough Provigil to wake the wake the dead!" Just then the ship rights itself, and everything slides back toward the opposite direction.

Simon immediately resumes his inspection of Jayne, and Inara rushed to his side. The senior Tams collect themselves, and clutching each other stand in the middle of the doorframe. As Simon began to root around on the floor obviously looking for something, his father finds his voice again, asking tentatively, "What do you need son?" Simon didn't look up as he answered back absently, "Zolpidem." Gabriel looks aghast. "Why?" He asks. But this time there is no answer because Simon has found the blue bottle he had been looking for and immediately jams a needle into the top of the bottle and then jams it violently into Jayne's thick neck.

Gabriel rushes over and starts to shout at Simon, "Why would you do that! It's extremely unsafe for his heart! Come to think of it, why the hell are you giving a man with trauma wounds Provigil? I'm surprised he's not dead already! Why on earth do you need him awake that badly?" Simon's face becomes red and he starts to shout too, not noticing or maybe just past caring, as his mother becomes more and more distraught. "How dare you accuse me of carelessness with a patient? If I hadn't done that just now there is every possibility we all would have died! Hell, we still might if he doesn't wake up by the time we get to bellephron!" Gabriel's anger dissipated out of sheer confusion.

He had nothing to say except to repeat his initial question, "Why?" But Simon's temper was still in full swing, and he replied in the same volume of voice as before, "Why? You want to know why? Because if he isn't your Xiao Mei Mei will go Feng Le! And then none of us will make it off this ship!" And then he grabbed his father tightly by the upper arm and proceeded to drag him out of the room.

Regan followed her husband and her son out of the infirmary, terrified. She had never seen Simon behave like this, not even at his most paranoid, and it was the scariest thing she had ever seen. But then she heard the noise. It was apparent after they entered the galley. It was a soft wailing. It didn't even seem human, but Regan was afraid that it was. And she was afraid to know who was making that awful sound of bottomless grief. Because there was no mistaking the agony within it. But she followed her red faced son, and her pale faced husband anyway. Because she couldn't not.

Simon led Gabriel up the stairs, and as he did so the wailing got louder, but still both men, and Regan were silent. But then they got close enough to see the source of the wail, and Gabriel no longer had to be dragged as he ran forward toward his daughter.

River had fallen out of the chair, when she lost contact with her Ape-Man's thoughts. She knew he was hurt already, no one had to tell her that. But she was in better control now. The fog was gone. And though it was hard to concentrate on the world outside of her brain pan, she could. With effort. But then the steady pulse of Jayne's thoughts were gone, and so was her anchor. She was lost in her own mind once more, and the control on her body slipped. The medicine took care of the fog, but it could not make things quiet. Jayne did that. She used to be able to swim in her brain soup, but since anchoring herself so thoroughly in Jayne she was no longer used to the overwhelming flood. Without his simple linear thoughts to anchor in she floated away. She was not aware of the noise she was making, of the lump on her head from the fall, of her family, and her parental units crowding around begging for answers. She didn't hear the responses to the questions ether. Or maybe she did. But how could she tell what the noises meant when they were drowned out by so much more? She was lost in her brain-soup.

_ River was laying across the stair landing leading up and out of the cargo bay. Her eyes closed, listening to the sounds of life in her Serenity. Mal and Inara were arguing about Inara's work again, their anger making the whole bridge red. Zoey was sleeping in her bunk, that's all she did these days. Her dreams are scary, filled with blood and tears. Kaylee and Simon were- nope not thinking about it. River avoided the engine room since Miranda, some things one didn't want to know about one's brother. And Jayne was watching her again._

_ He hadn't stopped since Miranda. But she couldn't quite figure out what he wanted. His thoughts weren't structured into sentences and words most of the time, just feelings, occasionally interspersed with a quick vivid memory. And lately all she heard from him was the grief that everyone carried for Wash and Book, and a questioning curiosity at her. But the memories they were all bloody. Wash impaled, Book shot, and time and time again River covered in Reaver blood. But the memories of her, weren't filled with grief or fear. Just curiosity and slight confusion. _

_ She liked his thoughts. There was little confliction, and what there was got resolved quickly. Her reverie was broken though by Jayne's thoughts as he has made a decision. About her. She looked quickly in his direction, and he was startled to see her looking back at him. Normally she ignored his observation. His voice floated over to her, through the sea of other sounds. The thrum of the engines, the sounds of the other crew members, the click of the buttons on the bridge, the static from the comms, his question cut through them all. He asked, "Will you teach me how to fight like you did on Miranda?"_

_It was not something she knew if she could do. To access those memories from Weapon River on command, without actually being Weapon River. But before she could answer no, or even maybe. Her answer was already floating across the air back to him. "Yes."_

The Tams were panicking. To Gabriel this was the second time he had seen his daughter break down in only a few hours. For Regan it was the first time she had seen her child in years. River was still shaking and moaning, despite the way Mal had cradled against his chest. And when Simon came and ran forward to hold her hand tightly in his, it made not a difference. They didn't think it would. They were just riding out the worst of it with her. They were there so when she snapped out of it, she wouldn't be alone.

Zoey couldn't do anything but fly. She was no River, no Wash, not even as good as Mal. But she was fast, and she was determined, and thanks to the lead River had given her on the Alliance she was managing to stay just feet out of range.

Regan asks in a tight high voice, "What's happening? What's wrong with her?" Simon answers back, most of his anger cooled. "Her mind is linked to her husband's. The man in the infirmary. When he lost consciousness, she became lost within her own mind." Regan wasn't sure what to address first, so she asked, "Can you fix it?" Simon winces and whispers, "No. The only way to snap her back is to have Jayne snap her out of it. Jayne, that's her husband." His temper flared again slightly as he turned toward his father and said, "That's why it was so gorram important to keep him awake." Gabriel however is too distracted to look sheepish, instead focusing on his daughter, still caught in speechlessness. Regan asks, "When did she get married?" Simon looks back at his sister and gives a tiny smile, "almost a month ago…."

_River is standing in the center of the cargo bay, wearing her soft green skirt, her long and tattered gray shirt, and her black boots still spattered with reaver blood. Jayne stands across from her dressed in his usual t-shirt and cargo pants. The only noticeable difference from normal is that he is devoid of the guns and knives that usually adorn him. His hair is slightly ruffled, and sleep still lingers in the corners of his eyes. It is early, they are awake before the sun. _

_River has been trying since the day he asked to remember the weapon's memories. But before today it was futile. But this morning she awoke and remembered. She thinks it maybe Simon's drugs finally taking affect. Or maybe the phases of the moon. Or the carrot soup in her hair yesterday. Or maybe she just wanted it bad enough today. But no matter what it is. Today she and Jayne will start lessons._

_She stares at him. She wonders if Ape-man can make the smooth motion her body can make. He seems to see the question of her eyes though as breaks the silence with, "Gorram it moonbrain, I can handle it! Just start." So she does. She kicks forward, her foot catching him directly across the throat. Jayne doubles over, coughing and sputtering. She is worried she may have hurt him. But he pops back up in a few moments with a wide grin, and coughs out, "Show me how to do that!" River feels her laughter before she hears it. Feels it tickling her esophagus as it bubbles up, and it bursts forth for the first time since Miranda, whole and unspoiled._

Gabriel says, "I didn't know it was that recent." This time it is Mal who answers, with his good natured scowl on, trying to mask his worry, "Yeah well the whole thing was fast. And against my policy against shipboard romances might I add. Not that anyone has ever listened to that one."

_It has only been two weeks since their first lesson, but Jayne is learning fast. River was right to think that he is incapable of her type of graceful movement, but he is fast and not without agility. He makes his own grace, from raw and unrestrained power. While River still wins every time, Jayne now gets in several hits, and there fights are more continuous. _

_Lately they have been spending time together outside of the training. Jayne offering to show River how to clean and dissemble his guns. River already knows how, but she likes to watch his hands and watch his thoughts as he carries out his ritual at the dining table. So she says nothing. They sit beside each other at dinner now. And River likes to do her dancing in the cargo bay while Jayne lifts his weights. It confuses the rest of the crew. _

_Today a crowd has gathered to watch their fight dance. The rest of the crew, except Zoey who is flying Serenity, is watching from the landing where River likes to lay. They give hoots and hollers, excited for the chance of entertainment that is so rare in the black. But River doesn't listen. She is watching Jayne. And Jayne is watching her. Then all at once their fight dance starts._

_River begins by dodging the punch that Jayne aims for her stomach. Jayne has learned to always start on the offensive, it's his only chance. She then gives him a sharp open hand jab to the ribs, as she moves to his back. But Jayne moves with her, not letting her out of his sight, and this time tries to land a hit on her ear. It grazes her, but doesn't have any heft behind it. She smiles. He is learning. She ducks under his next swing however and moves to land a hit on his jaw. His eyebrows furrow even further in concentration. This time he moves backward to avoid her follow up punch, and River gracefully moves her foot by just inches to land behind his ankle, and trip him. He lands with a bang on the metal floors to laughter and catcalls from the balcony. But he doesn't notice. He is too busy staring at River's leg, which is attached to her foot, which is on his neck. But for the first time, something that isn't respect, or envy, or friendship, or even cheap lust, pops into his head. It is a kind of pure adoration that he has never felt before. And he all he can think is her name, "River." She reads it the second he thinks it. He can see the shock in her eyes, and before he can say anything out loud, she is walking away from him, toward her room. _

Regan is now kneeling on the other side of Mal, her hand gripping her daughter's free hand, tears streaming down her face. She is trying to ignore the rapidly increasing turbulence of Serenity as Zoey begins to take sharper turns, to compensate for how much of River's lead she is rapidly losing. Serenity gives another lurch, larger than any of the previous, except for the one where River went down. Regan asks another question, not really caring to direct it at any one person. "What is he like? Her husband?" Gabriel presses his lips into a thin line, but this time it someone else who answers. Inara has followed them and is standing behind the group huddled around River. "Rough with everyone but her. A coarse man turned poet by her affections. Family means everything to him. And he wears a ridiculous hat."

_They haven't spoken in two days. The crew is tip-toeing around them both. Simon tried to broach the subject with River and got food thrown at his shirt. Jayne has taken to pulling a gun on anyone who looks like they might start speaking to him. Then finally early on the third day, before everyone has woken up, River goes to speak to Jayne in his quarters. She stands over him while he sleeps for three minutes and 37 seconds before she finally decides to start talking. _

_She just jumps in with, "Why did you think my name like that?" Jayne startles awake, pulling his gun out from under his pillow and waving it around wildly. Then he sees her, and finally registers her question. He puts his gun down and stare at her whiskey eyes in shock for a moment before answering. "I dunno. I didn't do it on purpose." River deflates. Her shoulders crumple and she asks in a small voice, "So you don't want to feel that way about River girl?" She reverts into third person, and he notices her distress, making him hasten to answer, "I don't mind it none, I just figured you would." She brightens again. And then asks, "So now what?" Jayne's answer comes quickly, "Now nothing. Mal and your gorram brother would shoot me. It'll be fine. We'll be fine, just as we were." River deflates again. And she doesn't answer. But her face says her disappointment loud and clear. Jayne is surprised. He didn't think River wanted any romantics. But his point still stands, the one with the bullets and all._

_River starts to get up, to turn away from him. And something in Jayne snaps. He never had very good self-control anyway. He winds his hand around her neck, pulls her forward and kisses her. It shocks River, he made his decision so fast it barely registered in her mind. But she is too filled with sunshine to wonder at it for long. And something else happens too. Her brain soup stills from its rolling waves into a gentle current, his sunshine matching hers and helping to push away the extraneous information. She decides she likes it. She doesn't want to give this up. Just as she decides this though, he pulls away and gives her a large grin. He says, "Wo Cao" in a voice filled with wonder._

Regan and Gabriel don't know what to say to Inara's description of Jayne. But everyone else is wearing little smiles, even Zoey, so they guess it must have some truth in it. Regan asks another question, just trying to get some answers, and ignore the wails of her distressed child. "So do you approve of him, Simon?" Simon grips River hand harder and waits for a few seconds in silence before answering. Then he says, "It's not my place not to. They're in love. He's good to her. I don't approve. But neither do I object."

_River and Jayne have been together for five days now. They are both suspiciously happy. The crew is starting to notice. They went from death threats to humming and whistling in the halls, overnight. Mal corners Jayne at lunch time as he is making his way from his room to the galley. "Glad to see you and 'tross worked things out." He says in a voice that says he is anything but happy. Jayne startles to see Mal standing there and replies warily, "Yeah well, me too." Mal just crosses his arms and then says, "Jayne so help me if your bein' inappropriate with tross' I will throw you overboard." Jayne just looks indignant, "I ain't done nothin'!" _

_ River walks in, and interrupts in a calm voice, "Jayne does only what River asks him to do." Jayne slaps his forehead with exasperation. And sighs with resignation saying, "Wo Cao." Mal's eyebrows shot up to the sky. Then he grabs Jayne by the collar of his shirt with both hands and pushes him into the Galley shouting, "Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang! Takin' advantage of River like that!" River follows them shouting, "River is not a child. She knows her own mind!"_

_ Simon runs into the room, his fists clenched, having heard the shouting. "What has the Wei Shian Dohn Woo done?" Mal shouts, "Hurt River!" at the exact same time as River shouts, "Nothing, Sha Gwa!" Simon just looks extremely confused. Mal releases Jayne and Jayne turns to face Simon, standing slightly closer to River in what appears to be a protective stance. Simon looks even more confused and then he asks, "So what happened?" River starts to speak but Mal just holds up a hand. "Why don't we let Jayne explain what he's done." _

_ They all look expectantly at Jayne. He looks distinctly uncomfortable. Then he starts to stumble through his answer, " Ah hell, I fell for the moonbrain." River's grin is huge. Simon's mouth falls open, and Mal just rolls his eyes. Jayne continues, "Hell if I know why, but the girly got to me. I'm even more confused as to why she wants to be my Ma Tze, but hell if I'm gunna argue. She's just, everything. Or somethin'." They all stare, except River, whose smile just gets even bigger. He continues "I made her a promise, to stay with her, so I guess if you n' the captain here want me off Serenity, you better just shoot me. I really don't wanna get thrown out the airlock." _

_ Simon stares slack-jawed at Jayne. Then before anyone can move, he punches Jayne hard across the face. River gives a shout, and rushes over to him. Then Simon turns to the captain and says, "Don't kill him. I need to think." Mal still looking shocked at the way events have turned out just nods._

River's wails pick up in volume and she curls in tighter around herself in her position against Mal's chest, shaking as she does so. The alarms from the consul start to go off, as Zoey finally loses the lead ahead of the Alliance battalion following them. A shell is fired and makes contact with serenity, but doesn't yet cause a breach in the hull. It causes everyone to lurch again, and Mal yells out, "Wo De Tian A! Dive and then pull up quick like, you might be able to ground at least a couple of the ones out front." Zoey nods and says, "Yes sir." Before she pulls back on the wheel and pulls them into a steep dive, pitching the crew forward again. Gabriel's face is starting to look slightly queasy from all the turbulence, and as the ship pulls out of its dive, his visage turns green. Mal calls out over his shoulder, "Did it work?" Zoey answers in the affirmative, "Yes sir, took out the two lead planes, but it only bought us a few minutes." Mal nods. River's shaking has stopped. Gabriel looks up at his son with hopeful eyes, and asks, "Is she snapping out of it?" Simon shrugs and answers, "Maybe. Jayne should be coming around soon." Gabriel shakes his head and says in a soft voice, almost to himself, "How is this even possible? For her mind to be so linked to someone else's? How is any of this possible?" Simon answers simply, "Because the Alliance opened up her brain, and then she decided it was easier to bear if she was tuned in to Jayne all the time."

_River was in the habit of listening in on Jayne's thoughts frequently before Miranda. She needed to be sure of his intentions toward her and her brother. That he wouldn't betray them again. He never had those thoughts again after Simon confronted him when he was injured. But it was best to be safe._

_ After Miranda she kept an eye on his thoughts for a different reason. She wanted to make sure he was okay._ _She knew that he feared Reavers more than anything else, and was concerned about the effect Miranda must have had. But the only Reavers in his head, were in his dreams. And if she saw herself there frequently she put it down to fear and curiosity._

_ And when they got together, she checked in even more frequently. And the more she did it the more she realized that keeping at least some of her attention, made it easier to function, easier to string words together without everybody else looking at her odd. Because his thought made sense. Linear. Simple but not stupid. His code of honor, less rigorous than some, but his belief in the importance of Family was absolute. And since Miranda that included all of them, it lead to a kind of underlying benevolence to all of his thoughts toward the crew. It was nice. Felt stable and permanent. _

_ River didn't know when she started listening in all the time. Maybe it was after they started to dance together in the cargo bay in the evenings. Or maybe it was after Simon saw her doing her physics equations on notebook paper instead of toilet paper, and decided to apologize for hitting Jayne. Or maybe it was when Jayne sent a letter home to tell his ma about her._

_ All River knew is that by the time that she heard Jayne practice his proposal in his head while they are all eating breakfast, she was so used to listening in constantly that she didn't even register he hadn't said it out loud. She just answered, "Yes. We can do it next week after the job. I need money for my dress." Jayne looked startled out of his skin, but everyone else was simply confused. River released what she had done and offered an explanation. "Jayne asked to marry me." _

_ Everyone else's head swiveled around to Jayne. He continues to look startled for a moment, and then his eyebrows lift and in an annoyed voice he says, "That's cheating! I hadn't asked yet." The rest of the crew looked baffled, but River just shrugged and said, "But you were going to." Jayne huffed and said, "And what if I've changed my mind." River looked unconcerned. "You haven't. So next week then." Jayne put his hands in his face, and then he took a deep breathe, shook his head, and said, "Yeah sounds good moon brain." He then promptly returned his interest to his breakfast. Everyone else continued to stare in a shocked silence. _

Another shell hits the hull, and the ship sways with the impact. Mal's eyebrows get even closer together, and his grip on the shaking woman in his arms gets even tighter without his eyes ever leaving River, he calls out to Zoey in a playful voice, "Hey, that's comin' outta your pay." Zoey pulled back on the already fully extended steering wheel and replied, "How 'bout you take it outta our pilot's pay. Seeing as how she's sleepin' on the job." Gabriel looks up at that, about to say something, but the ship shifts again, this time downwards at a sharp down angle. Mal answers back, "That she is. Doc, any way to change that situation a mite quicker?" Simon just shakes his head no. Gabriel says in a soft voice and asks, "What is so hard for her to bear, that this extreme dependency is what she's resorted to?" Simon answers, "I can't really say. She tried to describe it to me once. The last time this happened." "And when was that?" Gabriel asks. "About three days after they got engaged." Simon answers

_River is busy cracking the safe of an Alliance depository on Beylix, when Jayne gets knocked out by one of Alliance security guards. He had just happened to be in the bathroom when the crew busted in an took over the building, so when he heard the commotion, he laid low for a while before exploding out of the bathroom and knocking Jayne on the head. He was promptly taken down by Zoey before even walking more than ten feet. Just a hiccup. One of the hazards of the job. It would have been fine. They could have just taken the unconscious Jayne with them when they got the loot. _

_ Except the second he lost consciousness, their safe breaker fell into an uncontrollable panic, shaking and screaming. In the end, they had to take an unconscious mercenary, a raving pilot, and a 400 pound safe back with them on serenity. They rabbitted outta there, and when Jayne woke River was fine, much to everyone's relief. River even managed to finish breaking open the safe, much to the relief of everyone's wallets. _

_ But it scared Simon, how apparently dependent River was on Jayne. His sister had been the most unstable that he had seen since he had first pulled her out of the Alliance academy. He went to talk to her about it few days later, while she was busy doing cleaning her knives at the kitchen table. She was calm, humming a little, systematically polishing the large machete that Jayne had given her for a present. He sat down beside her, and in a hesitant voice asked, "Mei-Mei, why did that happen when Jayne got hurt the other day?" River's hands stilled for a split second, before answering, "I guess it just startled me when I couldn't feel his thoughts anymore. I've become so used to listening in all the time, when his thoughts weren't there, I just got lost." Simon was confused and asked, "Lost?" River's brow wrinkled. "My brainpan is usually all soupy. So many sounds and sights and tastes and smells and feelings and songs and maths and thoughts and memories all jumbled. It makes it hard to walk in a straight line in there. But Jayne's thoughts always run in a straight line. Yes and No and Food and Sleep and River. Easy to follow. So I just use the pattern he's already laid out. Don't have to think on the same road, just use the same size bricks." Simon thinks he understands, a little. But it worries him still, usually River is so independent of anyone else. He asks, "Can you undo it?" River thinks about it. "Perhaps. If I tried. Over time. But it seems to me the easier course of action is just to make sure that River girl is around to protect him." She nods to herself. Yes, that's easier she thinks, she just has to protect him. She smiles, and that makes Simon smile._

River is wandering in her mind, trying to walk instead of stumble and twist, but this is so much more difficult without her Ape-man. She's gotten lazy, she chides herself. And now big brother must be worried. Carrot soup requires 4 cups of chicken broth. Wait. That's irrelevant. But the other thing isn't. The thing about Simon. Oh, and there's a brick. How lovely. Gold has a melting point of 1948° F. Gorram irrelevant. But then even as she's getting frustrated, she sees another brick. Her wedding ring. So pretty, she remembers when she got it…oh wait she does remember doesn't she! And she realizes that she hasn't thought stumbled in a few seconds. She almost has her balance back.

Down in the Infirmary Jayne is stirring. There is a pressure on his chest, and his ribs ache. A bright light is making his closed eyelids glow red. Ah, he feel asleep didn't he. And then as he is jolted back to reality, he remembers that River will be losing it, with him unconscious. He calls out in his head, "River!"

In River's head the road she's been careful constructing is suddenly finished. Ah. Jayne's awake. She can feel his thoughts call out her name, and everything slots into place. Her recipes return to their shelves. Her memories to their rooms. And now that her balance is back, she can hear that irritating waling she appears to be making. And she can her brother's, and Mal's, and Zoey's, and even the parental unit's thoughts all practically screaming at her, their so loud. They are all panicked. Worried. She should fix that.

River jolts out of Mal's arms, eyes snapping open, and grabs the wheel away from Zoey. She reaches up to the overhead controls and flicks off the engine, the stabilizers, and the grav thrusts. Serenity begins to spiral down toward the surface of the planet, and the crew gives a shout, as they are all slammed to the floor. The Alliance cruisers still on their tail follow them in a deep dive. Right before Serenity hits the ground however, River smiles and calmly flicks all three functions back on at once. She pulls out of the deep dive, the back end of the ship literally scraping the ground as she does so. The bigger and bulkier cruisers however are not as lucky, and crash rather spectacularly on the surface of the planet. River pulls the ship up in a steep assent, until at the appropriate level to break the Osiris atmosphere, and then levels Serenity out. She then turns, a huge smile on her face, to look at the stunned crew, and her terrified parents, and says, "I'm a leaf on the wind."

**So a lot of fluff, I know. But I think it's at least sufficiently fluffy fluff. If that makes any sense. Anyway…..Yeah for flashbacks! This was fun to write. Also, I know a few people wanted to read the confrontation between River and her mom, so sorry I didn't get to it this chapter. Next time I promise.**


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